ALONG THE SPAARNE · A DAY IN HAARLEM
A walk through the old town, a museum visit and lunch by the water: a day in Haarlem does not need a packed itinerary. Choose one walk and one place you really want to visit. That leaves time to discover things along the way.
Start with an established walking route
Visit Haarlem’s Haarlem Monumentaal route map (in Dutch) starts at the Grote Markt. The publisher gives an estimated walking time of around an hour and a half. The route takes you through the Vijfhoek, past the Frans Hals Museum and along the Damstraat to the Spaarne. There, you pass the Waag, Teylers Museum and the Gravestenenbrug. You return to the Grote Markt via the Bakenessergracht and the Begijnhof.
Use the route map for full street-by-street directions. It was published in 2019, so follow any local diversions. The hour and a half is the publisher’s estimate for the walk itself, without our suggested lunch stop or a museum visit. Allow extra time for those.
Choose one museum along the way
Would you like to combine your walk with a museum? Teylers Museum is at Spaarne 16. Before setting off, check Teylers Museum’s current visitor information for opening hours and tickets. Plan around any booked time slot and leave yourself time to explore at your own pace.
You do not have to tick off every sight in one day. With one museum as your main plan, it is easier to stop along the way, browse a shop or linger over lunch.
A lunch break at Spaarne 66
For lunch, take a detour from the walking route to Spaarne 66, by the Melkbrug. Here, you can sit by the water in the centre of Haarlem. We serve lunch from 12:00 to 16:00. Take a look at our lunch menu beforehand and choose a time that works with your walk or museum visit.
On a chilly autumn or winter day, it is lovely to warm up inside and catch up over a meal. Prefer to sit outside? Explore our terrace by the Spaarne and contact us to discuss the options. A table booking does not guarantee a seat on the terrace.
Keep your day relaxed
- Save the route map on your phone before you set off.
- Check the opening hours of the museum you want to visit.
- Plan lunch between 12:00–16:00 and allow time for the break in your itinerary.
- Leave some breathing space between lunch, a museum time slot and your journey home.
Prefer an early start? Breakfast at Spaarne 66 begins at 09:00. Our French toast is a much-loved favourite. If you are staying in Haarlem for the evening, join us for dinner from 17:00. Drinks are available throughout the day.
Adapt the day to your group and the weather: explore our tips for visiting Haarlem with children or choose indoor things to do in Haarlem when it rains.
Prefer to go shopping? Read our tips for shopping in the Gouden Straatjes with a lunch break.